Born and raised in London and the English countryside, Stella McCartney graduated from Central Saint Martins in 1995. A signature style of sharp tailoring, natural confidence, and sexy femininity was immediately apparent in her first collection; after only two collections, in 1997, she was appointed the Creative Director of Chloe in Paris and enjoyed great success during her tenure.

Stella McCartney launched her own fashion house under her name, in a partnership with Kering as a 50/50 joint venture, and showed her first collection in Paris in October 2001. A lifelong vegetarian, Stella McCartney does not use any leather or fur in her designs. Her collections include women's ready-to-wear, accessories, lingerie, eyewear, fragrance, and kids.

In 2008, a new lingerie collection of aspirational styles that reflect a modern woman's needs was launched. In Winter 2010, Stella McCartney introduced the Falabella handbag. Distinguished by a braided chain detail, the bag has since become one of the designer's best-selling items. Also in 2010, the first Stella McCartney Kids collection debuted for boys, girls, and babies ages newborn to 14 years, capturing the spirit and energy of kids today. In 2011, Stella McCartney launched her line of sunglasses, which compliment her collections and are eco- friendly; the line has since expanded to optical.

For the Summer Olympic Games in 2012, Stella McCartney was appointed Team Great Britain's Creative Director by Adidas--the first time in the history of the games that a leading fashion designer has designed the apparel for a country's team across all competitions, for both the Olympic and the Paralympic Games. In celebration of London in 2012, Stella McCartney presented a one-off capsule evening collection during London Fashion Week.

Stella McCartney's commitment to sustainability is evident throughout her collections and is part of the brand's ethos of being a responsible, honest, and modern company.

Stella McCartney's achievement in fashion and social awareness has been recognized on numerous occasions, including the following:

2014Women's Leadership Award, Lincoln Center Corporate Fund, New York2013Best International Designer of the Year, The Elle Style Award, London Order of the British Empire award for excellence and service in the fashion industry2012British Designer of the Year, Harper's Bazaar Woman of the Year Awards International Award, Telva Magazine, Madrid Brand of the Year, Luxury Briefing Awards, London Designer of Year and Brand of the Year, The British Fashion Council, London Honorary Fellowship from the University of the Arts London; funding a new scholarship at Central Saint Martins for designers who adhere to her ethical view2011Red Carpet Award, The British Fashion Council, London2009Honored by the Natural Resources and Defense Council, New York Featured in the Time 100, New York Named a Woman of the Year, Glamour Magazine Women of the Year Awards, New York2008Best Designer of The Year, The Spanish Elle Awards, Barcelona Green Designer of the Year, ACE Awards, New York2007International Designer of the Year, Elle Style Awards, London Best Designer of the Year, The Elle Style Award for Award, London Best Designer of The Year, The British Style Awards, London2005Woman of the Year, Organic Style, New York2004Best Designer of the Year, The Glamour Award, London Star Honoree, Fashion Group International Night of Stars, New York2003Woman of Courage Honoree, Unforgettable Evening event, Los Angeles2002Style Icon, Elle Style Awards, London2000Designer of the Year, The Rover British Fashion Awards, London Designer of the Year, VH1/Vogue Fashion and Music Awards, New York

Stella McCartney's special projects and collaborations have included:

2014Partnered with the Nature Conservancy and Ovis XXI to introduce a new luxury sustainable wool for Autumn 2014, originating from Patagonia, in support of the restoration and conservation of the land Launched the 2014 London Stella McCartney Green Carpet Collection, a sustainable eveningwear collection Designed an exclusive lingerie set for Breast Cancer Awareness month Designed the White Ribbon badge for the Kering Foundation's International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, for the third year running2013Designed exclusive t-shirts for the Red Nose Day 2013 campaign to benefit the Comic Relief charity in the UK2012Appointed team Great Britain's Creative Director by Adidas for the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games2011Created the costumes for the New York City Ballet's Ocean's Kingdom, a ballet collaboration between Paul McCartney and Peter Martins, which premiered in New York Launched an ongoing partnership with the International Trade Center's Ethical Fashion Program creating accessories handmade in Kenya2009Designed exclusive t-shirts for the Red Nose Day 2009 campaign to benefit Comic Relief charity in the UK Launched Meat Free Monday, an awareness campaign in the UK2004Designed specially-made costumes for Madonna's Reinvention Tour, Annie Lennox's summer concert tour, and the wardrobe for Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law in the film "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow"